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G. W; CAMPBELL. GAR GOUPLING. No. 401,251. Patented Apr. 9, 1889.

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G. W. CAMPBELL. GAB, GGUPLING. No. 401,251. PatentedApr. 9, 1889;

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

GEORGE WV. CAMPBELL, OF EL PASO, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH TO/ JOHNP. PRYOR, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 401,251, dated April 9,1889.

Serial No. 297,635. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE W. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at El Paso, in the county of El Paso and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Car-Couplings,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a verticalsectional View of the adjacent ends of two freight-cars of ordinaryconstruction provided with my improved car-couplings; Fig. 2, an endelevation of one of the cars; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the weightedpivcted lever provided with a pawl for tripping the coupling devices;Fig. 4, a detail perspective view of one of the coupling devices, andFig. 5 a vertical sectional view of one end of a freightfcar havingapplied to it my improved coupler and a modified form of trippingdevices. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view of a draw-head, which willbe more fully explained hereinafter.

The object of the invention is to provide improved and simple means forautomatically and positively coupling the adjacent ends of railway-carstogether; and it consists in certain novel features of construction andarrangement cf parts, that will be fully hereinafter speciied, andparticularly pointed out in the claims appended.

Referring to the accompanying drawings by letter, A designates thedraw-bar, provided with the usual draw-head, B, for the reception of theordinary link and pin in case it becomes at any time necessary to coupledraw-heads of the ordinary construction. Below the drawhead B is formedanother draw head or mouth, C, pivoted in a slot in the lower portion ofwhich is an inclined coupling bar or link, D, the forward end of whichis beveled. This link is provided with a rearwardly-extending finger orarm, a, and on its upper face, back of its pivot, with an abutment, b,which latter rests against the roof of the lower draw-head, O, and holdsthe coupling-link in its normal position. Pivoted to the rear end of thedrawbar is a forwardly-extending lever, E, provided with a weight, E',on its forward end, the lever being guided in its vertical movements bymeans of a slotted guide, c. Pivoted on the face of the weight E isaweighted automatic tripping-pawl, F, which is supported in a horizontalposition by a pin, d, inserted in the face of the weight. Vhen theweighted lever is elevated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11, thispawl automatically catches over the extension or finger a, as Will morefully hereinafter appear. To elevate this weighted lever, I may employany suitable system of le- 6o vers; but l prefer the arrangement shown.In this arrangementl employ connecting-links e e, a vertical rod, f,extending to the top of the car and attached to these links by means ofa rod, g, and two pivoted levers, 71. h, eX- tending to the sides of thecar. By these means the coupling devices may be operated from eitherside or the top of the car. The normal position of the coupling devicesis that shown in Fig. 2 and on Athe left-hand 7o side of Fig. 1.

ln operation, when the cars come together, the higher one of thecoupling-links will ride up the inclined face of the other link andautomatically catch over the shoulder b thereon, as shown in Fig. 1, andthe cars be automatically coupled together. Itwill thus be observed thatthe devices will operate as well with cars of dierent heights as withcars of the same height. In case it is desired to couple to an 8oordinary draw-head it is evident the drawheads B ma3T be brought intouse. When it is desired to uncouple the cars, they are, as usual, firstbacked together, and then one of the weights E (the one that is to therear of the inclined link) is elevated by means of its operating leversand rods until it strikes against the bottom of the draw-head. As theweight is elevated, the weighted pawl F, being suitably beveled upon itsupper side, will 9o be automatically tripped and catch over the iinger aon the rear of the inclined link, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3.Then when the weight E is released it will fall a short distance, and bymeans of the pawl carry the 9 5 rear end of the link D down until itsshoul` der b releases the other link, the forward end of the trippedlink resting against the forward end of the draw-head of the adjacentcar, as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, roo and the pawl beingprevented from yielding upwardly by the pin' d. The cars are then freeto be drawn apart, and when they are drawn apart the coupling deviceswill automatically assume their normal position.

In lieu of the devicesshown in Figs. l and 2 for operating the couplingdevices, I may employ an arrangement similar to that shown in Eig. 5. Inthis figure I arrange transversely of the bottom of the car, immediatelyabove the extension a, a rod, z', which is depressed by means of anoperating-rod, j, secured on the end of the car. A spring, 7c, securedto the draw-bar, holds the bar i normally up against the bottom of thedrawbar. When it is desired to uncouple the cars, the bar 'i is simplydepressed and the cars drawn apart, the spring serving to return the barz' to its normal position, ready for another operation.

Instead of making the draw-head B separate from and above the lowerdraw-head, C, I may employ the latter alone, and do away entirely withthe former and insert the coupling-pin, as shown in Fig. 5.

As shown in Fig. 2, the draw-bar is supported by means of lateral lugsor ears Z Z, cast upon opposite sides of the draw-head, and rods mV m,secured upon the end beam of the car.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. The combination of a draw-head and draw-bar, an inclinedcoupling-link pivoted in the mouth of the said draw-head, and providedwith an extension, d, and an upwardlyextending shoulder, b, and meansfor engaging the said extension, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a draw-bar and draw-head, of an inclinedcoupling bar or link, D, pivoted in the mouth of the drawhead, andprovided with an upwardly-extending shoulder, b, and a rearwardextension, a, and a pivoted weighted lever and its pawl, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of witnesses.

GEORGE WV. CAMPBELL.

NVitn esses:

CHAs. D. DAVIS, J No. S. EINCH, J r., CHAs. D. JosT.

